In Greek mythology, which god molded Pandora from clay?

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus molded Pandora from clay on Zeus’s instructions.

Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora as a woman fashioned by the gods. Zeus orders Hephaestus, the divine smith and craftsman, to make her from earth or clay. Other gods then contribute gifts or attributes, including beauty, persuasion, craft, and deceptive speech. Her name, Pandora, is commonly explained as “all-gifted” or “gifted by all.”

The creation episode is part of a punishment myth. Prometheus had taken fire for humans, and Zeus responded by arranging a new calamity for them. Pandora is presented as the first woman in this tradition, and her arrival is connected with the spread of hardship among mortals.

A common mix-up is assigning Pandora’s creation to Aphrodite because beauty is among her gifts. Aphrodite contributes qualities in some retellings, but Hephaestus is the craftsman who physically forms her. The details vary between ancient sources, especially between Hesiod’s poems and later summaries.